The Photograph

LaKeith Stanfeild and Issae Rae have really good chemistry I felt. It made it believable that their romance was so perfect. Also like the chemistry that Stanfeild had with Lil Rey Howry who played his big brother. The movie was about two stories. the romance between Stanfeild and Rae's character. Then the movie did flashbacks of Rae's character's mother who had to make a choice between a man she loves and her passion. Both on their own made great stories but the way this movie handle both material was not great. It did not blend together well at all as it jumped from one story to another without any real set up. The jazz score made me think this movie was going to be too adult and sophisticated for my taste but after a while I just felt it was being used to cover what was wrong with the flick. Can't say that I did not like it. That would not be true but I can say is that it could have been better.

Production: Pretty basic all around. Nothing really stands out, but it isn't bad. Some continuity issues just like every other film. The music really sets the tone of the film. The script is a little dull/generic. 6/10.

On Screen: The acting was okay. Lakeith Stanfield made his character Michael Block, believable but, on the other hand, Issa Rae's character Mae Morton, wasn't. She didn't really have acting range. It's like she is uncomfortable the entire film. Additionally, the secondary characters are just cookie cutouts typical love movie motifs. Also, there are some plot holes that made the secondary story a little confusing. 6/10.

Content/Impact: To see black love portrayed in film is a rarity in itself. The best way to describe this film is love. The love that they show between black men and women, black women, and black men in a positive light, for the most part, is essential to tell our stories from a normalized perspective. This is what happens when we tell our own stories. 8/10.

Overall: It's a solid Valentine's day film to see with your loved ones, but because of the slow nature of this film, the performances needs to be outstanding and this falls short. I'll give it an 6.6/10.

I saw this movie on Valentine's Day with my besties, and we were all enamored by the film. Strong nuanced characters and good writing. Oh, and the souundtrack was amazing. It was two love stories in one and both narratives unfolded in a charming way.

I loved the imagery, the backdrop of New Orleans, the story, though predictable, developed well. Good love story, romantic and endearing.

Finally a film showing beautiful brown actors in normal, healthy and mature relationships, telling a romantic story where neither race, violence nor toxic, dysfunctional behavior are used as crux. Love scenes between the characters and the family portrayals were far more realistic than we've seen with typical films featuring people of color. In fact the fact that the characters were people of color made absolutely no difference- it's as it should be. The musical soundtrack really resonates by subtly showcasing many iconic 80s and contemporary R&B tracks that are generally not in frequent rotation; these brought back so many wonderful, long-forgotten memories. There was no cgi, no gun or other violence, no angry foul behavior ... and we need more films like this. I felt great during and after watching this film and I can't say that about many films these days. Well done.